Hair curler



March 19, 1957 R, TRABxsHv 2,785,689

HAIR CURLER Filed Augfl'r, i955 United States Patent HAIR CURLER yRobert Trahish, Chicago, Ill. Application August 11', 195s, serial No. 529,010

s claims. (ci. 132-34) structed that the entire device is easily disengaged from a curl immediately after the forming thereof in preparation for use to form other curls. Moreover, since it accomplishes the desired results equally as well when individually used as when it is manipulated by another person, such as a beautician or hair stylist, the invention is adapted for both professional beauty parlor use or use by an individual in the home. Actually, when using the invention, the hair curling operation is so simple that it can be done entirely by feel rather than requiring the use of a mirror as a visual aid.

The hair winding portion comprises means preferably consisting of a cylindrical comb structure adapted to engage and grip a lock of hair, and an idler on which the entire'device may be supported as the grip and lock of hair held thereby are spun to form a curl. To turn the grip, an actuating mechanism is provided in the body and handle of the device and attached thereto. Specifically, grip rotation is accomplishedV by Va, steep pitchedscrew and ratchet and pawl arrangement cooperable therewith as the handle isrmoved inwardly axially into the body; while withdrawal of the handle outwardly from the body disengages the actuating mechanism, leaving the grip free to remain stationary.

Curls and ringlets generally are tediouslyformed by hand with the aid of combs, pins, and other devices slow to manipulate to achieve the desired effect. Many forms of hairdressing appliances are known to women. Some require the user to wear them for hours before they are etective. Other appliances require the use of heat or chemical solutions for effective results. Repeated usage of them may permanently injure the scalp or hair.

Still other hair curling devices have sharp edges and projections likely to cut the scalp of the user as the hair is being set. Many other curling devices are expensive and complicated, requiring that they be used only by specialists; while others, because of their many working parts, easily are subject to misalignment and breakage;

And, those devices which are presently known to form curls and ringlets are time consuming to use, and more often than not produce inferior results.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome these and other failings of prior known hair curling devices.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a simple to use and highly eiiicient hair curling device which produces curls and ringlets with a minimum of eiort and .in a minimum of time. Y

Another object of this invention isito provide a rotatable hair grip -and hair curling head, and further to pro.-

ifice a device for professional use and for individual use, and

. which readily engages and grips the hair to thereafter almost automatically produce curls or ringlets as desired. And still. another object of this inventon is to produce a hair curling device which is inexpensive to manufacture, strong and durable in use, and easy to manipulate; and to this end it consists of the n ovel elements and combination of elements hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of construction will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended drawings.

vide actuating mechanism therefor effective to turnithe In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in operative position;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 2--2 in Figure l, showing the operating mechanism in extended position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2, but showing the operating mechanism after the curling head has been spun;

Figure 4 is a view similar to those shown in Figures 2 and 3, showing the operating mechanism after the release thereof for return to extended position;

Figure 5 is a view taken on lines 5-5 in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a view showing the cooperating ratchet and pawl mechanism for controlling the curling head.

The herein disclosed device comprises three principal portions; namely, the curling head, a cylindrical body wherein the head is held for rotation relative thereto, and a handle and actuating mechanism for rotating the curling head.

Referring to the drawings, the curling head 10 includes a hollow cylindrical body 11, one end 12 of which has teeth 13 and cutout portions 14 alternatively provided about its cylindrical circumference, and forming an annular comb for engaging and holding the hair during the curling operation. Adjacent its other end of the cylindrical body 11 is formed into a chamber 15 having an enclosure member 16 and a capping member 17. The enclosure member is provided with a central aperture 18 through which an idler stem 19 slidably passes into chamber 15. Within the chamber the idler stem 19 is provided with a gear 26 having teeth 21 adapted to engage teeth 22 provided on enclosure member 16 when the idler 19 is moved outwardly with respect to cylindrical body 11.r Capping member 17 and a collar 23 limit the v relative movement between the idler stem 19 and cylin- A helical spring 31, mounted concentrically within housing 25 and against capping member 17, urges the handle and curler actuating mechanism 30 outwardly to the extended position shown in Figure 2.

The handle and actuating mechanism comprises a cylindrical piston 32, preferably enlarged at the outer end to provide a convenient handle portion 33, and having anaxial bore 34 extending therethrough. An annular retaining shoulder 35, engageable with the end 36 of housing 25, limits the axial movement of piston 32 to within tin-(housing. :j l

. ...,Atfthe inner end of tlieihandle.l mechanism.. bore 1341 -1.Moreoften Ythannot, however-the.devicesissoelectiveato is enlarged to form a cylindrical chamber 37 dened at one end byY aY wall 3S and a't the other end by a cover wall ^39.::-Wall 39 has acntralopning40ialigned with? and corresponding to bore 34, while a concentricallyappended 5Y from the scope of the invention. For example, spring 31v portion A41 lias -a similarly aligned't axial bor4'2.

A'steepedzpitched screw'43yattach'edia fone'fend 44 within a centrallyllocated'slit 45 in :cappingm'emb'ei'l17,` Y .'provicles ashanlc for turning :the curling'headf10.

crew

Vbore 42, and into chamber '37,' 'wherein the-outer: end 46 Y n e Yof 'the'screwrests wherrhandle- 30 isfinthe extended po'sipushed lwithin'Y housing? 25, I'vwhil'e allowing ltheeh'andle -fto'1-be moved VVoutwardly freni housing 425''u`/it1";l'cn1tlturning vcurling'head 10 toiits original-position;ISDisposedladjacent to wall'38 and xed thereto is a ratchet`member'1'l47 having teeth 48 and a centrally located-holel49laligned 20-eavsy to eleanfandjinexpensiveito produce. Y f

While theszinvention-Y has-b'een .vdescjrib'edl 'in-@ai specific V-witlibore l34 to allow relativemovernent oflscrew 43 through the ratchet. Also located Withnchanber- -371is a pawl member 59 having teeth 51.V Theteeth Sl'aie en- Y gageable with the teeth 48 of ratchet 475'whenturnedin Y Y one direction and are slidable over the ramps 52forming 25Y lgest #themselves to those-'skilled V-in theartwithout* departing from Jthe'rspirithof!s theA invention;Y the scopertaf te'e'thY 48 when turned-in the oppositeV direction. Screw 43.. passes through Va narrow slit'53A infrpawl'SOglthereby produce tight curls that the hair is immediately prepared without the necessity of additional setting time.

Certain modifications are possible without departlng may be eliminated, since the handle mechanism may be withdrawn by hand as'the'lngers of the other hand hold housing 25 or idler stem 19.

Y It also will-'be fuderstodl-'t-hat the diameter of the 43 ext/ends concentrically through'housing'25,"spring 31, 10 curling head determinesjthesiz'e.ofthecurl formed thereby, and that therefore Yprovision may be made for the' interchnging*oflditerentsizei head'sr-td-iehieve'curls .of various sizes. vMoreover-,screw 43,.-maybe eitherl a left- Vhand or right-hand 'screw to achieve either'clockwise or Y provided for spinning thevcurling head 10f' k'slhel'anfdle 15 counterclockwise curls. Y

A-f'orrn and as operating in ai specic--m'annerlfo the purpose A -ofV illustration, itlis to l be understood that# tl'iep-i'nventiolr's -not limited thereto,v since Avariousl modifications -willfsilg-r l. .A2 hair .curling-device fcrnprisingan' annular V'h'ousslightly compressed' spring 54mainta'in'sv contactbefween fing-gfan:axiallyy b'o'red'handlellslidably-'movable "into one pawl 50 and ratchet 47. Y 'l Rotatable movementV of screw 43 relative v`t `Jb"ore 34 "as the handle is pushed from its extended position,"shown i finFigure 2, to the position'shown in Figure 3,'is Vbrought v'end tofsaicluY housinggia'chamber fcarried 'Aa'tftheinner fend of said handle; f a! steep #pitchedfscrewf extendin'g'fthrugh .fsaidl 'housing- .andfisaidchamber- #andA rotatable' therein;Y

ratchet Vmeans within said chamber 'and fcooprbl'e Iwith f about'by the following action; As pressureiinlthe'direc- 35`l saidiscrewuforcompellingrttion thereof as ls'aidrhandle vtion vof the arrows Vin Figure 3 is -brought onY handle 33, fthe teeth 51 of pawl 50 lockably engage YtheV teeth l48 of Ymoves inwardly towards saidl housing fandi 'for lrleasing said* screw; `asf'said#lhandlenrovies -outwardly Efromf-said Vfixed ratchet 47. With the te'eth'f48, 51-'so1fengagedjV `f`hosinggfa spring anchored insaid housing-urgingfs'aid movement ofV the handle inwardly is permitted'nlyas'the Yhandle outwardly therefro'myla lcurling-headmountedin pressure thereon is transmittedthroughpawl' 50to`turn 0l thebtherend ofsaidhousing, attached .tol'saidf screwfandV sc'revvl 43, thus VVcausing the curling lhead 10 "correspondvngly to rotate. VAt the end of the operating `or power j stroke', springl is cor'npxres'sed',I and upo'nirelease ofl'the Y l handle Vactsfon cover 39 to'lurge the-handle outwardly, -"rotatablyflttached t-o'lsaidfcurling-:head:@andiextending as shown in'Figure 4. -VDuring the return movemenL-'the axiallytherebeyond'for" supporting saiddeviceduri'gthe Y ,teeth 2 of 'gear 26 rries'h-w'itliV the Vteeth/22 ofmember harleurlingoperation. i M16 to 'prevent even'thel remote'possibilityofcurling'head Illunwinding Asthehan'dIe returns to? its outwardpo- 2. AV hair curling device comprising ar'tst'e'ep'fpitched screw,`alafridle movable axiallyrelative' to'said screw,

fling the teethr48 on'rat'chet 47. VApiston SSattached'to 50i-'said `cliamber1cooperable with 'saidscrew vforicompolling y ftheouter end 46 'of screw 43E guides theiscrewiuring fits'axial travel n'bore'42. Y

Vlhee'ase of Vsingthe invention viswell indcat'edfl'l'yl its 1- simplicity of construction. The hair,rif` desired, mayjrst :be -mostened with water YorV a hair Waving'lotiom "fere-` 55 Avrotatable?therewith,--ar1aannula -com'b iextendingfaround 1 ALatter,- the curling'V head is approached to 'fthe 'hed'-and Y' f the flock of hair to becurl'ed'is engagedv tl'nelcoml')V grip. VYlressure'is then applied tor thehandlefSSfto lmove piston Yf3Z`irwardly,`causing teeth 48, 51 to"lock;.while"serew 43 rotates curling heady Y10 to windY the; lockyofhairjheld 6() therebyjin a tight curl.vr vif the 'lockV tobej curled is' long, Vidler i9 is held :inthe otherrhiand as'rthe curl Afo'rn'ed, and'-`the`curling ropcrationis 'repeated untilbutton' 24 may restag'ainst Vthe' head'upon completion ofthe curling pe-l Y iReSeit of the actuating mechanism is 'Said S`m'Ved ialrst :f withoutupsetting the curl so formed,"since the' rtchet- Y 'pawl'arrangement allows the handle to `be urged outwardly in a direction OPPOSa to Sid l'sf difectcn; a'cflig whut 'affecting the u11inglhea l' Of ourse; head connected withr said 'screwforf'rctation therewith; ""ti'y locn'iof liairis'Y Lsliort,A button 24llrnaj i A YJonk-t7k Vedasfpr'es'sure isapplid tot p n iith' desireVv curl. Attthekonipltio vftl hir p j76p f the curl'fis n' 'i "d ving. ,7' vice during..the curlingoperation. Y. k gers hold'thecurlast vice is withdraw here' I jrrom. Y"'lliereafter'the'tu'rlnfiriglet'riybelsl lrfejlijn' placey inthe usual manner'by afclip or suitable hair pin'. 15 nieansv adjacent one end of said housing, said'ratchet 1 VVrotation thereof Sas said handleY is*` fi'iio'xked` axiallyj' relative g :.-thereto in:aflrst'directionandl for releasingtfsaidsc'rew n `1 Fasi-.said #handle -is moved ein; direction-opposite tosaid porting saidde'vice duringlthhair curlingoperation.

' Y 3.f`-'A 'hair'cr-li'ngdevicefcomprising aehousing'a-s'teep curlinghead andfxtendinga'xauy therebeyond-1jforisup-Y .pitched:screwxteridingV through said housing# a 'hndle'f Y -1rotationalrestraintion'fsaidscrew as :said Lhandlegis moved A rrr41A hair curling@ deviceecomprisingfa-ahousinggaisteep z pitched screwextendingi..throughasaidfhouSiDSQ-ratchetmeans being cooperable with said screw for compelling rotation thereof as pressure is brought axially upon said screw in a first direction and for releasing rotational compulsion on said screw as pressure is brought axially thereon in a direction opposite to that of said rst direction; a curling head attached to said screw for rotation therewith; means on said curling head to engage a loci: of hair thereon for turning therewith; and idler means connected with said curling head and reeiy rotatable rela tive thereto.

5. rEhe hair curling device described in claim 1 wherein said idler stem is movable longitudinally with respect to said curling head and has sufficient length to be gripped for holding said device, and additionally including retaining teeth carred by said curling head; and locking 6 teeth carried by said idler stem, non-engageable with said retaining teeth as said handle moves inwardly, and coopera'ole with said retaining teeth to lock said curling head and said idler stern, as said Vidler stem is held and the handle is urged outwardly, .thereby preventing unwinding ot' said curling head and the curi formed thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 372,092 Stansbury Oct. 25, 1887 517,350 Mathews Mar. 27, 1894 1,759,265 Kunin et al. May 20, 1930 1,985,716 Bueschel Dec. 25, 1934 2,213,915 Katz Sept. 3, 1940 

